Washington Wizards NBA Trade Deadline 2017: Clippers Have Interest In Otto Porter
By Ben Mehic
Washington Wizards aren’t planning to trade Otto Porter, but that didn’t stop the Los Angeles Clippers from expressing interest.
The Los Angeles Clippers have the look of a true championship contender.
Chris Paul is arguably a top-three point guard to ever step foot onto an NBA court. His vision has turned Blake Griffin into a bona fide star, as the explosive forward – when healthy – is a perennial MVP candidate.
DeAndre Jordan‘s defensive presence and intensity meshes well with Griffin, who’s become more of a versatile player. J.J. Redick‘s knock-down shooting ability makes him a perfect complement to Paul in the backcourt.
But the Clippers have always lacked a starting-caliber small-forward – someone to push them over the edge into real contention.
The Clippers hoped Paul Pierce, who was coming off an impressive postseason run with the Washington Wizards, would fill the void, but the aging forward has seen a significant decline.
Wesley Johnson, while competent, isn’t talent enough to match up against the likes of LeBron James or Kevin Durant.
For the Clippers to make a final push towards the NBA Finals, Doc Rivers will need to finally address the small-forward position.
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Los Angeles has been linked to New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony, but the two sides haven’t been able to reach a deal and it appears as if Anthony will stay in New York.
Recently, it was reported by Zach Lowe that Los Angeles had called the Washington Wizards about Otto Porter‘s availability.
Lowe notes that the Clippers are willing to part ways with Austin Rivers, Jamal Crawford and a first-round pick.
While the Wizards’ bench is last in scoring (both Rivers and Crawford would be welcomed additions), the team is not prepared to move one of their core pieces to add depth.
Washington would, however, trade a first round pick for bench help. The team has been linked to both Lou Williams and Bojan Bogdanovic, who could likely be had for a pick.
Porter is leading the NBA in 3-point percentage, hitting 47 percent of his looks from deep. He’s averaging close to 15 points and 7 rebounds per game. He’s also making over 53 percent of his shots.
Porter is due for a max contract (or close to it) in the off-season and the Washington Wizards will retain the forward unless they can get a star in return. His improvement, especially offensively, has helped the Wizards become a top team in the East.
Next: How the Wizards Could Trade For Paul George
Trading a 23-year-old, All-Star caliber forward for depth doesn’t make sense. And that’s why the team wasn’t interested in dealing Porter to the Clippers.